30 Questions to Ask Peers, Enablon & Consultants at SPF Americas!

There is so much information to soak up at Enablon’s SPF Americas event. It can feel overwhelming. Rather than focusing on learning everything, we have put together a list of 10 critical questions to ask Enablon, your Peers, and Consultants so you can focus on learning the most important things, rather than everything. Keep this checklist handy as you network and see just how much information you can gather!

Questions to ask Peer Companies

How did you choose your software?

What was the primary factor in your selection?

At what point did you engage a consultant to help with either your selection or your implementation?

How did your group agree on EMIS (Environmental Management Information System) priorities and goals?

Was your organization “ready” for an EMIS? If so, how did you get them “ready”?

How did you phase your implementation; or plan to phase your implementation?

How did your actual costs compare to budgeted costs, when the project was complete (or forecasted to compare if not yet complete)?

Questions to ask Enablon

What is your product’s core strength or “sweet spot”?

How long have you been in business and how is your development funded?

Tell me the story of how your product “came to be”? Does it have a background formed in the United States? Europe? What was the initial development perspective? Sustainability? Compliance? Air/water/waste? Etc.

Do you prefer to license your product as SaaS (software as a service) or as a license purchase?

What modules in your product are used by a significant part of your client base?

Who is the best North American Partner we should talk to? Do you have any awards acknowledging North American prominence?

If we choose to self-implement your product, or have Enablon implement it without the aid of a consultant, who will define and drive common workflows to be modeled into the software? How much iteration is allowed so that our user configuration specification documents are “right”? Can you refer us to other successful self-implementations?

Do you consider your product a workflow tool? Or does it have structured functions built into it?

If you were to give me one piece of your best advice for success what would that be?

May I get your card in case I have follow up questions?

Questions to ask Consultants

How core to your company is EMIS Services? What percent of your company revenue does EMIS services comprise?

How long have you been working with Enablon? How many implementations have you completed? Have you won any Enablon awards?

Do you receive re-seller fees from Enablon?

What is the best point in the process for me to engage a consultant?

Why should I use a consultant to help select my software? Can’t I do that myself? Can’t my information technology (IT) folks do it for me?

Why should I use a consultant to implement my software? Can’t I do that myself or use Enablon’s service?

When should I engage IT in my process?

What is the best way for me to find the budget I need for my project?

If you were to give me one piece of your best advice, what would that be?

May I get your card in case I have follow up questions?

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We hope these questions will help you make the most of your time at SPF Americas!

About the author

Joanne Schroeder’s engineering mind and entrepreneurial heart has made her an influential leader of E2 ManageTech. Her creative problem solving approach has earned her a reputation of perseverance in starting and growing the first business in the EMIS services industry. Joanne is currently responsible for business development and company growth. She holds a BS and MS in Engineering, an MBA, and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of California. Joanne has published articles and/or presented studies for the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Industrial Environmental Association of San Diego and EM, the Air and Waste Management Association Magazine for Environmental Managers. She is an avid reader, is dedicated to her family and health, and enjoys traveling and learning new things.

Enablon, a Wolters Kluwer business, is the world’s leading provider of Sustainability, EH&S and Operational Risk Management Software. More than 1,000 global companies and 1 million users rely on Enablon software solutions to manage their environmental and social performance, minimize risks and improve profitability. Enablon offers the most comprehensive platform in the industry, and is consistently recognized as a global leader and visionary.